Scratch It Cooking

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Fettuccine Alfredo has to be one of the yummiest, creamiest, and most fattening dishes. Alfredo sauce can be rich or it can be simple. It may taste like garlic or cheese. One thing is for sure, Alfredo sauce should not come from a jar. To rid the world of cooks who simply buy their Alfredo at the supermarket, I am presenting you with two very different, and very tasty, Alfredo recipes. Each recipe will be ready in the time it takes to boil your pasta, so please put the jar down and try these out.

Sauce #1--This Alfredo is classic. Butter, cream, cheese, and you're basically done. My testers and I agreed that we didn't care much for the nutmeg in this recipe, but I would still add a little pinch of the stuff because it makes the Alfredo, well, different. A disadvantage to this sauce is that it does not reheat well. The recipe makes enough for 8 ounces, or half-a-pound of pasta, so double it if you're serving a crowd.

Sauce #2--I love this Alfredo for many reasons. Reason number one, you can make it with 1% or skim milk if you want a low-fat sauce. (Now it will not taste as good as a sauce made with cream, half-n-half, or even whole milk, but it will thicken and still be yummy) Reason number two, it reheats beautifully! Since my family consists of me, my husband, and my one-year-old (who throws most of her dinner on the floor for the dog) we always have leftovers, and I only eat good leftovers. This sauce is thick, cheesy, and full of garlic flavor. It is a little bit more complicated to make than Sauce #1, but it still whips up quickly and easily.

One more tip, fresh Fettuccine is amazing! If you are going for true taste and decadence either make your own pasta, or pick it up at the store. You at least need to try it once in your life. Now, put down the jar, walk over to the dairy section of the supermarket, and make something truly delicious and satisfying.

Friday, February 11, 2011

"All I really need is love, but a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt!"

-- Lucy Van Pelt in Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz

Well in honor of Valentine's Day and chocolate, I give you an incredibly easy brownie recipe. While searching for a brownie recipe, I wanted one that tasted better than a mix, because what would be the point, and one that didn't require melting chocolate because that seems like too much work. This brownies whip up in almost as much time as a mix, but taste so much better. They are thick, rich, and taste exactly like what you want a brownie to taste like. I also love this recipe because I always seem to have these ingredients on hand and ready to go.

Our Ingredients:

Brownies are pretty basic: eggs, butter, lots of sugar and chocolate, and some flour and salt. Don't be afraid of butter or sugar because you're baking and these are essential and real ingredients. (Just don't eat the whole pan)

It's time for the chocolate chips! Or the peanut butter chips! Or the butterscotch chip! They'll all taste good.

Spread the batter into a prepared 13x9 inch pan, and bake for 35-40 minutes at 350 degrees.

To finish these brownies, I let them cool and then used my heart-shaped cookie cutters to cut the brownies into hearts. However, they taste just as good when cut into normal squares. I calculated the cost of these brownies to be about $2. I buy most of my ingredients in bulk which cuts the cost. If you do a lot of baking, I would definitely recommend buying your flour and sugar in bulk. I also buy a 5 pound bag of chocolate chips at Costco, and I've used them all, several times. Chocolate? Yum!

Thursday, May 20, 2010

I have decided to finally start a cooking blog, and I need your help. I want suggestions of what you would like to learn how to cook from scratch, or what things do you want to know if they are WORTH making from scratch? My plan is to find the best recipes and the best in-store products. Then I'll cook them, taste them, and calculate the cost. For every recipe I'll let you know if it's worth the time to make and how much you might spend, in time and money, on each dish. Please let me know what you want to cook and I will get this blog going!

You Might Also Like...

Blog Archive

Recipe Index

An Average Cook Who Loves to Eat

My husband tells me he's going to have to reinforce my cookbook shelf. I love to cook and I love to eat. I want to feed my family quality food from real ingredients, and I want it to be cost effective. This blog explores how to cook from scratch whether it be healthy dinners, rustic breads, or amazingly delicious desserts. I hope to show that making things yourself is cheaper and better for your health than buying fast-food or ready-made items. Can we as a modern society really make our food from basic ingredients and get away from over-processed packaged foods? I think we can, and I think your tastebuds would agree.